National Diving Championships: Li Yajie Takes Gold in Women’s 1-Meter Springboard
On November 23, the second day of the 2023 National Diving Championships, the Paris Olympic Games, and Doha World Championship Trials took place in Wuhan. In the women’s 1-meter springboard competition, Li Yajie secured the gold medal. Additionally, Cheng Zilong captured the men’s individual all-around gold medal.
This event marked another showdown between Li Yajie and Lin Shan, following their competition at the Fukuoka World Championships and Hangzhou Asian Games. At the Fukuoka World Championships, Lin Shan emerged victorious, while Li Yajie claimed the gold at the Hangzhou Asian Games.
In the recent competition, Li Yajie delivered an exceptional performance. Despite stiff competition in the first round, she maintained a lead with her impressive dives. With a solid second jump and a few minor hiccups in the third, Li Yajie widened the gap in the fourth round with a difficult 305C movement. Ultimately, she clinched the championship with a score of 301.80 points. Lin Shan secured the silver medal with 285.55 points, while Chen Jia of the Sichuan team finished third with 283.15 points.
After the competition, Li Yajie expressed her determination to continue improving and hopes to excel in the upcoming 3-meter springboard competition to compete with the current national team.
In the men’s individual all-around competition, Cheng Zilong of Hubei Haosha team emerged as the champion, with Li Zheng of the Shanxi team and Duan Yu of the Shanghai team taking second and third place, respectively.
The mixed all-around final, women’s individual all-around final, and men’s 1-meter springboard final are set to take place on November 24.